HPRC Fitness Arena: Physical Fitness

Your feet are so important – they work hard to get you from place to place! You walk, jog, run, cycle, and swim with your feet, so take good care of them. Easy tips include wearing comfortable shoes that fit properly, shopping in the daytime for shoes when your feet are more swollen than in the morning, walking to exercise your feet, wearing well-fitting stocking and pantyhose, and seeing a podiatrist to deal with corns or calluses.

Have you ever been tempted to try the exercise equipment advertised on late-night infomercials—the products that promise to enhance various body parts or provide a great workout for a low, low price? Most of it isn’t necessary to get into the shape you want. Some of the most effective workouts can be done at home­­—with only your own body weight. It’s not that equipment is bad—correct use of weights and some machines can be very effective—but it isn’t necessary, nor is it an excuse to prevent you from getting in a good workout when equipment isn’t available.

There are some clear benefits to exercising at home without the use of equipment, including saving time and money that you would spend at a gym. Most importantly, exercising by using your body weight provides you with the ability to exercise anytime and anywhere—you aren’t restricted only to the times when you have access to the piece of equipment or device. Also, there are a variety of ways to go about a home-based program, ranging from workouts on DVD to a workout you create for yourself. Those already familiar with online workouts may know that YouTube has been afire with videos of extraordinarily fit people demonstrating their workouts done with minimal equipment in their homes, backyards, or local parks. Always proceed with caution—these videos are impressive and can be useful, but realize that they come with a risk of serious injury. Before you begin any home workout, consult your physician and/or an exercise professional to determine what is safe, and best for you.

We list some examples below of fitness moves that can be performed at home without equipment. These moves should be performed properly and at the right intensity level for them to be effective and safe. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) provides an Exercise Library that displays the proper form for many exercises.

ABC News affiliate WSET.com (Lynchburg, VA) has an article on rhabdomyolysis and exercise – specifically working out with P90X, an high-intensity exercise program.

Photo: Red Wolf/Flickr

ABC News affiliate WSET.com (Lynchburg, VA) has an article on rhabdomyolysis and exercise - specifically working out with P90X, an high-intensity exercise program. Rhabdomyolysis is the breakdown of muscle fibers resulting in the release of muscle fiber contents (myoglobin) into the bloodstream. Some of these are harmful to the kidney and frequently result in kidney damage.

Rhabdomyolysis is a potentially deadly condition that can be triggered by overdoing exercise/workout programs.

According to an article from Army.mil, Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) is shaping changes in Army boot camp; changes leaders say are improving Soldiers’ preparedness for combat once they reach their units.

Photo: Shutterstock.com

According to an article from Army.mil, Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) is shaping changes in Army boot camp; changes leaders say that are improving Soldiers’ preparedness for combat once they reach their units.

NBCwashington.com (Washington, D.C.) has an article on how one U.S. Air Force airman stays healthy and in shape for Air Force-related missions.

Photo: Shutterstock.com

NBCwashington.com (Washington, D.C.) has an article on how one U.S. Air Force airman stays healthy and in shape for Air Force-related missions.

According to the article, Airman 1st Class Angelo Beatois is an advocate of high-intensity workouts, including sit-ups, push-ups and pull-ups, combined with sprints and running. He designed his own personal workout from the variations of exercises he learned when stationed from base to base.

Money often buys higher-quality goods, but not when it comes to running shoes, experts say.

Photo: Shutterstock.com

The New York TimesHealth section has an article that looks at the cost of running shoes, and found that low- and mid-cost shoes within the same brand cushioned runners’ feet just as well as high-cost ones — sometimes even better.

In short, money often buys higher-quality goods, but not when it comes to running shoes, experts say.

Businessweek.com is reporting on a new study that suggests that running a marathon can damage your heart, with more than half of the segments in the heart's main pumping chamber typically functioning a little under par during the race.

Image: Shutterstock.com

Businessweek.com is reporting on a new study that suggests that running a marathon can damage your heart, with more than half of the segments in the heart's main pumping chamber typically functioning a little under par during the race. The good news is that other parts of the heart pick up the slack and the changes reverse within three months or fewer after the run, the researchers found.

The end result is that the study shows that the more fit and trained a runner is, the less effect the strain of a marathon was found to have on the heart.

2010

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